Demand for probe in bribery scandal gains momentum<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Adi Andojo Soetjipto, the senior judge who
\nalleged that bribery is rampant in the Supreme Court, and has
\ncalled for an investigation, is gaining more and more support
\nfrom various institutions and individuals.<\/p>\n
Sudomo, a close aide of President Soeharto's, and scholars at
\nCentral Java universities are among those calling for a speedy
\nresolution to the bribery scandal at the Supreme Court. Other
\ncalls have also been made by the Association of Islamic Students.<\/p>\n
\"We must not let this scandal go unresolved,\" legal observer
\nSatjipto Rahardjo of Diponegoro University told The Jakarta Post
\nin Semarang yesterday.<\/p>\n
\"We have to support anybody who is willing to take risks to
\nsave the Supreme Court from such scandals,\" Satjipto, who is also
\na member of the National Commission on Human Rights, said.<\/p>\n
The effort to uncover this scandal should try not to tarnish
\nthe Supreme Court's reputation, he added. \"All related parties
\nshould sit together and discuss solutions so that the good name
\nof the Supreme Court can be restored.\"<\/p>\n
Sudomo, chairman of the Supreme Advisory Council, said
\nseparately yesterday that the Supreme Court itself should solve
\nthe scandal, without inviting in other bodies to help.<\/p>\n
He pointed out that the President, the House of
\nRepresentatives, the Supreme Audit Agency and the Supreme
\nAdvisory Council are all institutions which are technically of
\nequal level. None of them can intervene in another's internal
\naffairs, he said.<\/p>\n
President Soeharto said on Wednesday that the Supreme Court
\nshould be able to resolve the matter itself. This statement was
\nmade following public discussion as to who has the authority to
\ninvestigate the Rp 1.4 billion (US$600,000) bribe allegedly paid
\nto the Supreme Court judge Samsoedin Aboebakar.<\/p>\n
A legal observer, for instance, has called on Adi Andojo to
\nseek the support of the office of Vice President Try Sutrisno who
\nis in charge of the supervision of state agencies' operation.
\nMinister of Justice Oetojo Oesman said earlier this week the
\nSupreme Court could ask the President or Vice President for
\n\"guidance\".<\/p>\n
The executive board of the Association of Islamic Students
\ncalled for a complete resolution of the alleged collusion case,
\nsaying that this is crucial to the people's trust in the
\nIndonesian judicial system.<\/p>\n
\"If the allegations turn out to be true, then the senior
\njudges involved in this case should be punished accordingly,\" the
\nstudents said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Political observer Riswandha Imawan of Gadjah Mada University
\nhas blamed the political system for the rampant corruption among
\nofficials.<\/p>\n
\"There's no delegation of power here, and this creates a thick
\nlayer of bureaucracy which tends to corrupt,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The alleged collusion made headlines in newspapers after a
\nrecent edition of the Forum Keadilan magazine printed a secret
\nletter from Adi to the Central Jakarta Prosecutors' Office.<\/p>\n
Adi asked the office to review the Supreme Court's decision,
\nwhich acquitted the Indian school principal Ram Gulumal of
\ncharges of unlawful land procurement for the construction of the
\nIndian Gandhi Memorial International School in Ancol, North
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
The magazine reported that Gulumal's acquittal sparked
\ncontroversy among senior judges because there were indications
\nthat the judge presiding over the case had received a bribe of Rp
\n1.4 billion to secure the acquittal of the defendant.(har\/imn)<\/p>",
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